Why are college students taught what to think instead of how to think?

Answer 1

They aren't.
Just because you had a poor college education doesn't mean everyone else did.

Answer 2

Teaching a person to think begins with PARENTS! If a child is discouraged from wondering Why at a young age; it's difficult to break the sheeple mentality later on in life.

Whoever said that traditional education doesn't reward Regurgitation must have either a) slept their way through college, or b) had all the right professors.

There are two types of teachers: a) the ones who teach you the tools to think for yourself, and b) the ones who reward you for being able to regurgitate the book and the lectures.

It's fast and easy to grade a multiple choice, fill in the blank exam. A teacher who assigns full length papers requiring students to THINK is guaranteeing themselves a long week of reading if they put effort into the grading.

I had both types of professors. Regurgitation in Business classes and good professors for my Writing Minor (English) classes. Even if I chose a topic I knew my English professor disagreed with, I was rewarded (aka good grade) for the effort, reasoning, etc of my paper. In the Business classes, you didn't dare disagree with the Corporate Clone ideology or you'd be repeating the class to get a passing grade. In my experience, it didn't matter how well thought out, correct, or convincing the argument was; if it didn't agree with the ideology it was not an acceptable answer.

Answer 3

No one can really tell you what to think..Never happen and never will I guess. But most colleges try to impose a certain way on how to think. And that restricts students gradually on what are they actually thinking.

For instance, I can slightly alter your question by omitting the word "why" . This way, I do not assume (like you did before) that "students are taught what to think" is a fact. And the answer will be different.

Cheers!

Answer 4

Dude, good question. I don't think that's the case all the time, but some times it is.

I've been in for my share of college that's for sure, and I can say that it's what you get out of it. You don't need to go to school to make money (although it certaintly helps). I've noticed if you truly just want that pursuit of knowledge, College is great. Beginner courses in college teach you what to think, and I think they go about it wrong. But wait until your third and fourth year, with independent studies and thesis papers, the "how to think" will definitley come in handy. If you read between the lines, they do teach you how to think through doing research, how to study, what to pick out, and what to do. Ignore the actual material for a second, and look beyond.. College is unique because you decide how to think... studying work ethic, going to classes, seeking tutors, ect.

Answer 5

Don't take any notice of this Socratic dialogue rubbish!
Students are encouraged to talk round and round in meaningless circles until they come to the "right" answer.And it better be the RIGHT answer or you will be marked DOWN.
And possibly have a stain on your record for the rest of your academic career.
Any student should master the art of sleeping during these "Debates", and awakening just in time to hear the brainwashed professor congratulate the Class on arriving at the "RIGHT" answer.
This answer,of course has been handed out as "Divine Writ" by a self-appointed "liberal" Elite!
Just as the Kremlin handed out the Party Line in the "Good old Days" when these liberals were all hard-line Communists.
It is useless to argue: you will be Black-balled!
Students are required to toe the Party Line:
NOT TO THINK!
As a matter of fact: thought is not necessary for a liberal academic!
He/she merely needs to shout "Racist" or "Homophobe" or "Sexist" like a Pavlovian dog when the bell is rung.

Do not ask your Pofessor about answers like this,without covering your back by saying:
"Have you ever seen such Fascist Ranting in all your life?"
This will give him a way out!
He probably has lost the power of logical thought after so much time as a "liberal academic".

Answer 6

Indoctrination 101, they whom ever they is dont want us to think. The educational stragety in america is to educate them enough to be usefull in the work force. But not smart enough to think for themselves, that would be a threat to the elite.

I think orwell covered this well in his book 1984. Incramentalism is the best way to change a whole society, start with the children. Hitler covered this as well in his books. Japanese experiments on the brain/mind during ww1 and 2.
were the foundations that the U.S. modeled our system on.

DOUBLE THINK. The act of holding two different opinions on the same subject, in effect canceling both out. and leaveing the subject un aware.

Answer 7

You are thinking of schools that are technical institutes rather than liberal arts colleges.

A true liberal arts college uses the Socratic method where students are required to think critically and analyze issues both from their unique perspective and from the perspectives of all of the people in their study group.

The professor or instructor does not teach them what to think, but asks them questions rather than answers them. The idea is to incite students to make their own independent inquiry and then to debate their conclusions, and the empirical evidence they rely on, and to try and find the truth.

A technical institute relies on regurgitation. That's what you're complaining about.

Answer 8

children should be taught to think for themselves and for the most part are...or are you just irritated because they aren't taught what you believe. people who think for themselves and use logic instead of junk science are a danger to the half of
America that believes that Man has been on the Earth for only 5000 yrs. Here's a question for you....Was Socrates a Liberal?

Answer 9

Regurgitation is the easiest item to grade. Answer lazy professors!

For those that think liberal arts teaches other than regurgitation read Zen & the Art of Motor Cycle Maintenance, the section where he goes back to school for his PH'd.

My own experience I disagreed with much of what my liberal professors heaped on us & their solution was to balance the equation by lowering ones grade. Granted this was back in the 70's & I was going after a business degree.

What the student needs to know is take the professor not the class, if one is going for the grade. This is a skill useful in the business world as well.

Answer 10

Apparently you've never been to college. It wasn't so long ago for me, and I clearly remember intense discussion in class or during office hours debating over a variety of topics.

I think you are trying (unsuccessfully) to show that colleges are guilty of something. If that were the case, you could say the same thing about any organized religion...

Answer 11

I think they are taught what to think from birth through high school, but after that they are taught to start thinking for themselves. That is hard for some to do and many never do learn to think for themselves.